Preparedness A natural or man-made disaster can occur at any moment, and the department is committed to preparedness and response efforts to protect our community as well as other communities across the state. The Public Health Preparedness (PHP) program assists community organizations in developing formal disaster preparedness plans and participates as the Emergency Support Function (ESF) 8 lead agency in the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center. During disasters, staff work to ensure adequate shelter for vulnerable populations and monitor the safety of the food and water supply.
Working to Respond Faster
COVID-19 Response
The Florida Department of Health uses the Everbridge Mass Notification System to provide quick communications to employees, volunteers, and partner organizations. This system also supports a variety of personnel who may be called to action during disasters, allhazards response efforts, and other public health activities. Quarterly drills are executed to measure how efficiently we can respond within one hour.
2021 was a very busy year for PHP during COVID-19. PHP has been actively involved in COVID-19 response since February of 2020. As we move on to the next phases of the pandemic, we have shifted our focus to providing and assisting COVID-19 testing and vaccination operations to Escambia County residents.
2021 Hurricane Season The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season was considered above average and concluded on November 30, 2021. The hurricane season produced 21 named storms, including seven hurricanes of which four were major Hurricanes. FDOHEscambia’s ESF-8 team was on stand-by for each storm that was near the Region. However, we were never officially activated for any storms this season.
Everbridge Drill Response Q3 Jan-Mar 2021
95%
Q4 Apr-Jun 2021
95%
Q1 Jul-Sep 2021
92%
Q2 Oct-Dec 2021
92%
Pictured above: COVID-19 Vaccine POD at the Pensacola Wahoos game May 11, 2021.
Pictured left: COVID-19 Vaccine POD at Brownsville Community Center on February 24, 2021.
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